Trump’s Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker Was Part of World Patent Marketing, a Miami-Based Invention Scam Company | Miami New Times

Trump’s Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker Was Part of World Patent Marketing, a Miami-Based Invention Scam Company | Miami New Times

Cooper and his company relied on the influence of the board members to attract customers — and to keep them in line. In an April 2016 email to an irate customer, he wrote, “Do you think all these powerful and influential people would join forces with me if what you said were true? We have former US Attorneys, members of President Obama’s advisory council, military generals, famous doctors. Think about it.” Scripts distributed to company representatives had them boast about the CEO’s “incredible advisory board” and mention Whitaker by name.

At least a few board members simply took cash without meeting inventors or reviewing pitches. Some of the supposed innovations the company green-lit already existed, so patent applications were regularly denied. And despite the many supposed success stories listed on its website, virtually none of the firm’s clients ever made money. Once customers paid, World Patent Marketing provided little of what was promised. And when customers complained or warned that they would write negative reviews, Cooper unleashed wild threats, sometimes mentioning Krav Maga-trained security.

Other threats came from Whitaker. In one email included in thousands of pages of documents New Times reviewed, he accused a customer of “possible blackmail or extortion” and threatened “serious civil or criminal consequences.”